Ahead of the start of the season, Adrian Clarke looks at the players who missed the majority of the last campaign and can have a big impact in 2024/25.
Midfielders
Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa enjoyed a wonderful campaign despite losing their most natural No 10 to a season-ending knee injury just nine days before the start of last season.
Argentinian playmaker Buendia was a regular starter playing just behind Ollie Watkins in a 4-2-3-1, in Unai Emery’s first season at the club. He excelled with and without the ball, creating more chances from open play (1.49 per 90 minutes) than any of his team-mates, while also defending from the front with great enthusiasm. In terms of regaining possession inside the final third, only skipper John McGinn had a better record.
Buendia is perfectly suited to Emery’s high-octane style of play, and his ability thread through balls in behind for Watkins will be welcomed by the striker. Villa supporters will be thrilled to have him back.
Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
Ramsey was expected to be a key man last season, but foot, hamstring and toe injuries meant that he missed a total of 22 matches.
Despite suffering from a stop-start season, the 23-year-old largely impressed in his eight starts, making a further eight appearances coming off the bench.
Aston Villa’s excellent points return when Ramsey was involved did highlight his value.
He is a young midfielder with an appetite to break forward, who tends to make things happen in advanced areas of the pitch.
Villa with and without Ramsey 2023/24
| Statistic | With Ramsey | Without Ramsey |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 16 | 22 |
| Wins | 11 | 9 |
| Draws | 2 | 6 |
| Losses | 3 | 7 |
| Ave. points | 2.19 | 1.5 |
Tyler Adams (Bournemouth)
Andoni Iraola’s aggressive pressing game is tailor-made for USA international Adams, but two operations on his hamstring restricted the midfield man to just 118 minutes for his new club.
The 25-year-old proved his worth at Leeds United in 2022/23, forging a reputation as one of the division’s most athletic and aggressive engine room enforcers.
In all the key defensive metrics for central midfielders the tough tackling Adams ranked very highly during 2022/23.
Adams' defensive stats 2022/23
| Statistic | Total | PL Rank* |
|---|---|---|
| Tackles/90 | 3.63 | 3rd |
| Tackles won/90 | 1.92 | 7th |
| Poss. won/90 | 8.3 | 7th |
| Interceptions/90 | 1.46 | 12th |
*Minimum 1,000 minutes played
Lewis Cook and Ryan Christie both did well for the Cherries last season, but there is no doubt Adams, who can also pass with aplomb, is capable of forcing his way into Bournemouth’s starting XI.
Solly March (Brighton)
Brighton & Hove Albion’s attacking output dropped off dramatically last season, scoring 17 fewer goals than they did in 2022/23.
Injuries to several key forwards contributed, but March’s absence with a ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) certainly impacted their productivity inside the final third. Coming off the back of his best-ever campaign, with seven goals and seven assists, the right winger started 2023/24 in tremendous form, netting three times in his first two games.
Is it a coincidence that in the right winger’s seven starts the Seagulls found the back of the net 16 times, averaging 2.29 per match? I don’t think so, as across the remaining 31 contests that he missed, that figure dipped to 1.26.
New head coach Fabian Hurzeler will be eager to have the 29-year-old’s creativity, experience and consistent end product available to him as soon as possible.
Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)
Ankle and lower back injuries restricted Japanese winger Mitoma to just 19 Premier League appearances last season, and this had a detrimental effect.
When he was fit and available Brighton failed to score just once in those fixtures, but without his electric pace and outstanding dribbles Roberto De Zerbi’s side were far easier to contain. Remarkably, in 10 of the 19 matches Mitoma sat out, the Seagulls blanked nine times.
Brighton with and without Mitoma 2023/24
| Statistic | With Mitoma | Without Mitoma |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 19 | 19 |
| Wins | 7 | 5 |
| Goals scored | 37 | 18 |
| Matches failed to score in | 1 | 9 |
The numbers in the table above paint a very clear picture on how much Brighton missed Mitoma.
Their goal output was halved, so the Japanese star’s return cannot come quickly enough.
Julio Enciso (Brighton)
A torn meniscus in Enciso’s left knee hampered his progress in 2023/24, but the 20-year-old attacking midfielder could be one to watch next season.
He made just five starts (and seven substitute appearances) last season, but on a per 90 minutes basis he made a tremendous impact. No one completed more successful dribbles, and he also had 5.32 shots on goal per game, which is an incredibly high number.
Brighton attackers dribbles/shots compared
| Player | Completed dribbles/90 | Player | Shots/90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Enciso | 3.23 | Julio Enciso | 5.32 |
| Kaoru Mitoma | 2.36 | Ansu Fati | 4.55 |
| Simon Adingra | 2.02 | Joao Pedro | 3.3 |
The Paraguayan has an eye for the spectacular and excites the Seagulls supporters. If he stays fit, he will make a big impression.
Romeo Lavia (Chelsea)
Since joining from Southampton last summer, Lavia has played just 31 Premier League minutes. He arrived with an ankle issue that kept him out until Christmas, but upon his return the talented Belgian then suffered a serious thigh injury which prematurely ended his campaign.
The 20-year-old should be a welcome reinforcement in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo did not hit it off as well as expected as a partnership. The Blues won just nine of 22 matches when those two big money signings started together, losing seven.
If Lavia can rediscover his best form as a ball-winning defensive midfielder, he will be a very useful option for Enzo Maresca in the coming months, especially if Conor Gallagher leaves. Technically excellent and combative, the youngster has potential to thrive at Stamford Bridge.
Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace)
Oliver Glasner will be excited at the prospect of using defensive midfielder Doucoure for the first time in 2024/25.
The Mali international was outstanding early on last season, producing a strong of influential performances at the base of Crystal Palace’s midfield. Frustratingly, an Achilles injury cut short his debut campaign in English football after only 11 matches. While Will Hughes proved to be a fine partner for Adam Wharton towards the end of last season, the potential of a Wharton-Doucoure central midfield pairing will excites Eagles supporters.
At the point he got injured Doucoure was averaging 1.95 interceptions, 3.32 tackles and 7.2 ball recoveries per 90 minutes for Palace. No other midfielder in Glasner’s squad came close to matching those numbers.
Stefan Bajcetic (Liverpool)
Is Spanish teenager Bajcetic the answer to Liverpool’s search for a top-class defensive midfielder? Perhaps, and we will find out more over the coming months.
New head coach Arne Slot will certainly be pleased to welcome the 19-year-old back from a lay-off that saw him miss almost the entirety of last season with a succession of injuries that were blamed on "severe growing pains".
In 2022/23 he impressed across 11 Premier League outings. Physically he struggled to impose himself at times, but the midfielder - who made his first Premier League outing in 14 months as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur in May - has bulked up to become more robust.
In that 26-minute cameo he made four tackles, so if Slot is looking for more midfield bite, the youngster will be handed opportunities to play.
Mason Mount (Man Utd)
Mount’s first season at Old Trafford was a huge disappointment, having made just five Premier League starts. A long-term calf injury kept the attacking midfielder out between November and March, with some other niggles also disrupting his progress.
Tactically, the 25-year-old was also a victim of circumstances. On the opening weekend Erik ten Hag deployed him as a twin No 8 with Bruno Fernandes, but Casemiro’s struggles in the sitting role quickly provoked a switch to 4-2-3-1, which limited his opportunities to play.
If Mount can recapture the form which helped him score 11 goals and produce 10 assists for Chelsea in 2021/22, he could be a game changer for Manchester United this season. At his best he is creative, a huge goal threat and also a terrifically hardworking player out of possession.
His most impressive stat in a United shirt so far relates to tackling, where he won 2.46 tackles per 90 minutes, ranking him second behind Casemiro.
Amad Diallo (Man Utd)
A pre-season knee injury meant 21-year-old Diallo had to wait until late December for his first slice of action, but across three starts and six substitute outings he showed flashes of real promise.
The Ivorian’s calm winner at home to Liverpool in the FA Cup, coupled with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win against Newcastle United should put Diallo in the frame to enjoy plenty more game time in 2024/25.
Diallo's stats are very impressive.
Diallo attacking stats 2023/24
| Statistic | Total | Man Utd rank* |
|---|---|---|
| Chances created in open play/90 | 2.32 | 1st |
| Dribbles attempted/90 | 5.1 | 1st |
| Dribbles completed/90 | 2.55 | 1st |
| Touches in opp. box/90 | 6.73 | 2nd |
*Minimum three starts
No one who started at least three matches was able to deliver more key passes in open play per 90 minutes. His confidence taking defenders on in 1v1s also shone brightly, as did his pace. Diallo’s natural speed can have a penetrative effect for Man Utd in the coming months.
Joe Willock (Newcastle)
Willock will be determined to regain his status as a regular starter for Eddie Howe’s side having featured for just 12.2 per cent of Newcastle’s 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
A hamstring issue troubled the former Arsenal midfielder early on last season, before an Achilles tendon problem wrecked a season which eventually limited him to starts in just five of 38 top-flight matches.
Willock’s athleticism and drive to get forward from a left-midfield berth does provide the Magpies with a fresh dimension. He is also the team’s strongest ball carrier, having attempted 4.09 dribbles per 90 minutes, just ahead of Anthony Gordon.
His box-to-box style was missed in 2023/24.
Sandro Tonali (Newcastle)
Italy international Tonali is expected to resume his playing career in August, following a lengthy suspension for breaches of the FA’s betting rules.
Prior to his ban the 24-year-old central midfielder had experienced a mixed start to life on Tyneside, scoring a fine goal on the opening weekend, before losing his starting place to Sean Longstaff after just four league matches.
His record in Serie A was excellent before arriving at St James’ Park, making seven assists from 62 key passes for AC Milan in the 2022/23 campaign. Tonali is renowned for being a strong ball winner, a terrific passer and someone who can deliver consistently accurate set pieces.
His comeback will give Howe a very handy tactical option.
Joelinton (Newcastle)
Joelinton has been remodelled and rejuvenated under Howe’s management, so it will have been frustrating for Newcastle’s head coach to lose the Brazilian for the second half of last season.
The striker-turned-midfielder returned in May, following groin surgery which had kept him out of action for 118 days.
Joelinton is an invaluable tactical option for the Magpies chief given his ability to play in midfield or attack. When he sits at the base of midfield it frees up Bruno Guimaraes to push forward, and in wider positions the 27-year-old’s powerful runs suit Newcastle’s transitional style of play.
